style="font-size:15px;"> Of butcher’d princes fight in thy behalf:King Henry’s issue, Richmond, comforts thee.
[The Ghost of HENRY THE SIXTH rises.]
GHOST
[To KING RICHARD.] When I was mortal, my anointed body
By thee was punchèd full of deadly holes:
Think on the Tower and me: despair, and die,—
Harry the Sixth bids thee despair and die.—
[To RICHMOND.] Virtuous and holy, be thou conqueror!
Harry, that prophesied thou shouldst be king,
Doth comfort thee in thy sleep: live, and flourish!
[The Ghost of CLARENCE rises.]
GHOST
[To KING RICHARD.] Let me sit heavy in thy soul tomorrow!
I that was wash’d to death with fulsome wine,
Poor Clarence, by thy guile betray’d to death!
Tomorrow in the battle think on me,
And fall thy edgeless sword: despair, and die!—
[To RICHMOND.] Thou offspring of the house of Lancaster,
The wrongèd heirs of York do pray for thee:
Good angels guard thy battle! live, and flourish!
[The Ghosts of RIVERS, GREY, and VAUGHAN rise.]
GHOST OF RIVERS
[To KING RICHARD.] Let me sit heavy in thy soul tomorrow,
Rivers that died at Pomfret! despair and die!
GHOST OF GREY
[To KING RICHARD.] Think upon Grey, and let thy soul despair!
GHOST OF VAUGHAN
[To KING RICHARD.] Think upon Vaughan, and, with guilty fear,
Let fall thy lance: despair and die!—
ALL THREE
[To RICHMOND.] Awake, and think our wrongs in Richard’s bosom
Will conquer him!—awake, and win the day!
[The GHOST of HASTINGS rises.]
GHOST
[To KING RICHARD.] Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake,
And in a bloody battle end thy days!
Think on Lord Hastings: despair and die!—
[To RICHMOND.] Quiet untroubled soul, awake, awake!
Arm, fight, and conquer, for fair England’s sake!
[The Ghosts of the two young PRINCES rise.]
GHOSTS
[To KING RICHARD.] Dream on thy cousins smothered in the Tower:
Let us be lead within thy bosom, Richard,
And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death!
Thy nephews’ souls bid thee despair and die!—
[To RICHMOND.] Sleep, Richmond, sleep in peace, and wake in joy;
Good angels guard thee from the boar’s annoy!
Live, and beget a happy race of kings!
Edward’s unhappy sons do bid thee flourish.
[The GHOST of QUEEN ANNE rises.]
GHOST
[To KING RICHARD.] Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne thy wife,
That never slept a quiet hour with thee,
Now fills thy sleep with perturbations:
Tomorrow in the battle think on me,
And fall thy edgeless sword: despair and die!—
[To RICHMOND.] Thou quiet soul, sleep thou a quiet sleep;
Dream of success and happy victory:
Thy adversary’s wife doth pray for thee.
[The Ghost of BUCKINGHAM rises.]
GHOST
[To KING RICHARD.] The first was I that help’d thee to the crown;
The last was I that felt thy tyranny:
O, in the battle think on Buckingham,
And die in terror of thy guiltiness!
Dream on, dream on of bloody deeds and death:
Fainting, despair; despairing, yield thy breath!—
[To RICHMOND.] I died for hope ere I could lend thee aid:
But cheer thy heart and be thou not dismay’d:
God and good angels fight on Richmond’s side;
And Richard falls in height of all his pride.
[The GHOSTS vanish. KING RICHARD starts out of his dream.]
KING RICHARD
Give me another horse,—bind up my wounds,—
Have mercy, Jesu!—Soft! I did but dream.—
O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!—
The lights burn blue.—It is now dead midnight.
Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh.
What, do I fear myself? there’s none else by:
Richard loves Richard; that is, I am I.
Is there a murderer here? No;—yes, I am:
Then fly. What, from myself? Great reason why,—
Lest I revenge. What,—myself upon myself!
Alack, I love myself. Wherefore? for any good
That I myself have done unto myself?
O, no! alas, I rather hate myself
For hateful deeds committed by myself!
I am a villain: yet I lie, I am not.
Fool, of thyself speak well:—fool, do not flatter.
